Loose-leaf binder



June 3, 1947.

A. A. ANDERSKOW LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed July 50, 1945 Patented June 3, 1947 UNITED STAT ES PATEN T OFFICE 2,421,404 LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Alex A. Anderskow, Chicago, Ill. Application July 30, 1945,'Serial No. 607,737

4 Claims. (Cl. L29-1) This invention relates to loose leaf binders.

One object of the invention is to provide a binder unit for perforated loose leafs such as the sheets of notebooks, catalogs or the like, which enables the-sheets to be turned freely and which provides a guard against the entrance of the perforated margins of the sheets between binder elements during the turning of the bound pages.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved binding unit for perforated or loose sheets that may be made of relatively thin sheet stock, such as sheet plastic, but which, without utilizing ring looking means, adequately retains the bound sheets in book form.

Other objects of the invention relates to various features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a broken perspective View of a binder unit which is illustrative of the present improvements.

Fig. 2 is a broken perspective view of the improved unit with sheets bound thereby, the sheets being shown in closed relation.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, but showing in full lines the bound sheets in open relation.

Fig. 4 is a broken perspective View of a modied form of a binder un-it.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the binder unit shown in Fig. 4 and showing in dotted lines the relation of the same to the sheets and sheet covers when in use.

Fig. 6 is a broken perspective view of another modified form of the binder unit.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing a binder unit is shown as comprising three rings each indicated generally by the numeral it. The rings are formed of relatively thin strip material, such as plastic sheet material and are formed by winding strips into ring form to provide a plurality of contacting helical convolutions which terminate at the outer end in free ends l l The inner ends of the strips of which the rings are formed are shown integrally connected with a spacing bar l2, which in the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is arranged for disposition, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 substantially centrally of the group of sheets to be bound. The bar l2 and the strips of which rings I0 are formed can' thus be stamped from sheet material and the strips wound upon a suitable mandrel to provide the convoluted rings above mentioned.

As shown in Fig. 1, the bar i2 is provided with stop members I3 shown disposed between adjacent rings IU. the purpose of thestop members being described hereinafter. The strips of which the rings lil are formed-are of a length sufficient to enable the strips to be wound upon themselves t`o form the rings shown and to provide multiple convolutions. In the form shown in Fig. 1 there are at least two full convolutions. The units may be provided with a plurality of rings, three being illustrated, but two may, of course, be provided if desired, or a greater number may be embodied in a unit. In binding a group of sheets such as shown in Fig. 2, the unit may be lco-extensive in length with the perforated edges of the sheets, or two or more binder units of substantially less length may be employed.

In binding the sheets by means of the improved binder unit the sheets are properly arranged and the ends Il are pulled outwardly from Contact with the subjacent convolution and the ends are threaded through the proper perforations of the groupof sheets. By relative movement of the group of sheets with reference to the unit after the ends H have been started through the perforations, or by rotative movement of the unit with reference to the sheets, the

sheets are positioned upon the binding units as shown in Fig. 2. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the bar l2 is disposed in a diametrical plane of the rings and is designed for final disposition substantially intermediate the groups of sheets as illustrated in Fig. 2.

In arranging the sheets for threading upon the rings, the left hand half L of the group of sheets shown in Fig. 2 is arranged in back-toback relation with the right hand half R of the group of sheets. With the sheets held in that relation they are threaded upon the ring which requires rotation of the unit with reference to the sheets of two complete turns of 360 each. Such movement will bring the left hand sheet of the right hand half R of the sheets of Fig. 2 into contact with the stop bar l2 as indicated in said ligure, whereupon the left hand L of the sheets will then be turned clockwise to bring the last sheet of the left hand group into contact with the opposite side of bar l2. The assembled sheets will then be in the position shown in Fig. 2. 'Ihis mode of assembly is well-known in the bindery art.

Referring to Fig. 3 the bound sheets are shown in open position, that is, the half R extending to the right in a horizontal plane and the left hand half L extending to the left substantially in the position of a book lying on a table and opened at its middle. Should the top sheet I4 of the left hand group L of sheets be returned to the right to deposit it upon the right hand half, it will be seen that the edge of the sheet adjacent the perforations might be drawn into the spaces marked I in Fig. 1, that is, the space between the innermost convolution and the next outermost convolution adjacent the bar. Hence, the perforated portion of the sheet might easily be torn. However, in moving the sheet I4 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 the sheet will engage the stop members I3 and if the sheet is moved farther to the right, the binder unit will be forced to rotate in a clockwise direction until the bar contacts the top sheet of the right hand group of sheets shown in Fig. 3. Hence, the stops I3 require, in many instances, the shifting of the binding unit or units rotatively in so turning the adjacent sheets and prevent the drawing of the perforated edge of a sheet into the spaces between convolutions of the rings and probably disruption of the sheet.

The use of multi-convolution rings provides adequate strength for binding purposes notwithstanding that the sheets are formed of relatively thin material. In fact, the material may be no more than 1,64 of an inch in thickness, or may be less except where exceptionally large sheets are to be bound. The thinness of the material, preferably plastic, gives the strips of which the rings are formed suiicient flexibility to enable the sheets to be threaded upon the rings, or rather the rings to be threaded through theperforations of the sheets without diflculty whereupon the rings, due to the resilience of the material, return to their original contracted relation with the adjacent convolutions in contact and providing adequate ring strength, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing the binding units are formed similar to the units above described except that the free ends I6 of the outer convolutions of the rings are originally disposed in an outwardly turned position as shown in Fig. 4. The inner ends of the strips of which the rings, indicated generally by the numeral I8, are formed, are connected by a spacing bar I9 which itself is not provided with stop members. The outwardly directed ends I5 constitute stops which function in the same manner as the stops I3 of the above described modication, in that they will prevent the drawing of an edge of a sheet into the space 25 indicated in Fig. 4. The bar I9 and the ends IS are substantially coplanar and may be disposed substantially in the middle of the bound group of sheets. However, in Figs. 4 and 5 the plane of the members I6 and I9 is not diametrically arranged with reference to the rings, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, but is so disposed as to be arranged between the group of sheets 2l of Fig. 5 and one of the covers, such as the back cover 22. The material of which the ring strips are formed being flexible, as above described, the stop members I6 can be flexed readily to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4 as the end of the strip is being threaded through the aligned perforations of a group of sheets, whereupon, due to its resilience, it returns to the normal full line position,

Where the bar I9 is to be disposed between the last of the bound sheets and the back cover 22 as shown in Fig. 5, the back cover is positioned adjacent the front cover 23 prior to the assembly of the sheets upon the binder unit. When the threading action is completed the back cover 22 is swung around the lower half of the ring as viewed in Fig. 5 to the position therein shown, all as is well-known in the art of loose leaf binding.

The form of the invention shown in Fig, 6 is similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that in Fig. 6 the spacing bar 24 lies adjacent the inner surface of the adjacent portion of the rings rather than being disposed in a diametrical plane of the rings as illustrated in Fig. 1. In other words, the bar 24 extends generally in the direction of the inner terminal portions of the rings rather than being connected to such inner ring portions by substantially reversed bends as in Figs, 1 and 4.

In the form shown in Fig. 6, the bars 24 are provided with stops 25 which function in the manner of stops I3 and I6 above described, and due to the angular disposition of the plane of the bar 24, the bar is designed for disposition adjacent a cover of the bound sheets as in Fig. 5 rather than for disposition at the middle of the group of bound sheets as in Fig. 2. The modification shown in Fig, 6 has rings indicated generally by the numeral 2li, the outer convolutions of which terminate in free ends 2'I which can be readily threaded through the sheet perforations in assembling a group of bound Sheets upon a binder unit or units.

While I have shown and described certain binder forms which are illustrative of the invention, I do not wish to be restricted specifically thereto since various changes in details may be resorted to within the spirit of the present improvements.

I claim:

1. A binding unit for retaining a group of marginally perforated sheets in book form comprising a plurality of flexible rings each provided with concentric spiral convolutions having free outer ends adapting the rings to 'be threaded simultaneously through correspondingly spaced perforations of a group of sheets to effect disposition of the adjacent margins of the sheets within the confines of the rings, a spacing strip connecting together the inner ends of the adjacent rings, and a stop member integral with the unit and disposed substantially in the plane of said strip for preventing a marginal portion of a sheet on the side of said stop from entering between the ring convolutions upon the turning of said sheet relative to the rings.

2. A binder unit for retaining a group of marginally perforated sheets in book form comprising a plurality of rings each comprising a plurality of flexible concentric convolutions terminating in a free outer end enabling the respective convolutions to be threaded through aligned perforations of the sheets, a spacing bar joining the inner ends of adjacent convolutions to retain the rings in laterally spaced relation, and a stop member on the bar between contiguous rings for obstructing entrance between the convolutions of a ring of the marginal edge of a sheet disposed adjacent said stop during turning of said sheet.

3. A binder unit for retaining a group of marginally perforated sheets in book form`comprising a, plurality of rings each comprising a plurality of flexible concentric convolutions terminating in a free outer end enabling the respective convolutions to be threaded through aligned perforations of the sheets, a spacing bar joining the inner ends of adjacent convolutions to retain the rings in laterally spaced relation, and a stop member comprising a co-planar extension on the bar between contiguous rings for obstructing entrance between the convolutions of a ring of the marginal edge of a sheet disposed adjacent said stop or during turning of said sheet.

4. A binder unit for retaining a group of marginally perforated sheets in book form comprising a plurality of rings each comprising a plurality of exible concentric convolutions terminating in a free outer end enabling the respective convolutions to be threaded through aligned perforations of the sheets, a spacing bar joining the inner ends of adjacent convolutions to retain the rings in laterally spaced relation, and a stop member for obstructing entrance of the perfo- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 0 le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Spinner May 13, 1941 Number 

